At a New America Foundation event a couple of Fridays ago, Daniel Levy warned this was coming, even when no media outlet was covering it. Well, it landed with a bang today on CNN international:
For five hours, investigators asked Lieberman about suspicions of money laundering, fraud and breach of trust in a corruption investigation that dates back several years, police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said.
Lieberman was also questioned by the Israeli National Fraud Investigation Unit for several hours on Thursday and Friday.
The interrogation was “under warning,” which means that anything he discloses in the interviews may be used as evidence if he is charged.
The allegations include receiving a bribe via his daughter Michal’s consulting firm. [...]
This leads me to the media call today on the Middle East, compliments of Steve Clemons and the New America Foundation, which included Daniel Levy and Amjad Atallah, of course, with guests Knesset Member Jamal Zahalka and Aida Touma-Sleiman, both addressing the Netanyahu-Lieberman government. As usual with these interpretations, they are my analyses, so any misinterpretation that develops should be put on me, not the person to whom I am equating the analysis; noting that opinion from me is not present, except where openly stated, in the interpretations of what was said, which is offered below.
Mr. Zahalka described Arab-Israelis as being “minority oppressed,” while stating: “We are trying our best to improve our situation. … full equality and full citizenship for Palestinians…” Making the point that this can only happen if Israel is not a “Jewish or Zionist state.”
Ms. Aida Touma-Sleiman joined in, saying all the world recognizes Israel as a Jewish state. The question is whether there will be a Palestinian state, with the chances diminishing, as she sees it. Ms. Aida Touma-Sleiman, a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Arab-Israeli feminist, sees the “Zionist left” as losing its power; as the Israeli gov. is “moving more and more to the right…” As she sees it, and I analyze what she said on the call, there are three main dangers for Arab-Israelis today: 1) extremism higher as reflected in elections, as well as the behavior of the ministers in right-wing; 2) Lieberman is a reincarnation of what’s come before; legitimacy of this type of racist language is being seen in talk shows & media: 3) “worried” that this kind of racism is going from institutions to ordinary people and private sector, impacting workers, with attacks rising against Palestinians. “In my opinion, this is very dangerous,” she continued. It gets down to, Touma-Sleiman says, “Israel has to deal with the internal challenge of their minorities and democracy, and the level of democracy…”
On Lieberman, Mr. Zahalka: “I don’t think that Mr. Lieberman will have a significant affect on decision making…” But he also stated that the Israeli government is trying to impose a “deligitimization” of the Arab-Israelis.
One question pertained to what the questioner believed was Hillary Clinton being very pro-Israel during the primary season. Zahalka was blunt, stating that Mrs. Hillary Clinton… should look to American interest, not Israeli lobby..
As an aside, that could be said about any American politician today, even those who are more even handed behind closed doors, but never speak openly for fear of the American Likud lobby in this country. Chas Freeman’s swiftboating is a case in point, with few in the Obama administration showing any moral courage at all, except for Adm. Blair.
Ms. Touma-Sleiman on the Jewish lobby, which she sees as having been influential on the Admin., without a clear position coming from Pres. Obama. She gave him credit that he “sent signals from Turkey…” He also needs to be aware when someone is dividing his Administration from the inside.
My question was on Arab-Israeli challenges for women under a Netanyahu-Lieberman government. Mr. Zahalka quickly mentioned that they made history this last election with Haneen Zoubi being the first Arab female ever elected to the Knesset. This quote from her is priceless (photo via):
“I don’t want to become the Knesset address for Arab women’s issues. I need to raise the interest of the men in my party on women’s issues, not allow their interest to wane because they can dump the issue on me.” – Knesset Member, Hannen Zoubi
Zahalka then continued, saying that women’s equality is struggling; main problems for Arab-Israeli women is participation of work for them, which “is very, very low. … Without work you can’t have independence.”
Ms. Touma-Sleiman, answering my question, says the biggest challenges are: 1) women living in militaristic state; 2) part of Palestinian minority discriminated against; 3) “our own society.” Extremism and racism make it “more difficult” to pay attention to other cycles of discrimination. Threats in the public discourse make it more difficult to communicate “feminist discourse” and get the attention to women. … .. Low level of employment; other problems… “I could speak to this for three or four hours… (laughter)…” on the issue of women.
Seguing to my continued efforts to keep Ms. Livni’s voice alive in all of this, I offer this recent statement from her on Lieberman, via CNN international, which is particularly timing given where this post began:
Lieberman’s predecessor, Tzipi Livni, told Israel Radio that Lieberman had “erased in 20 minutes, years of efforts to advance the peace process” when he declared that Israel was not bound by commitments it made at the summit in Annapolis.
Mitchell will be going to the region soon, to which Zahalka responded: “We should choose to live together.”
It’s also being reported that President Obama will travel to Israel in June.
Oh would it be to much to hope for an indictment…please, please, please.